The growth of take-out food restaurants, and especially the fast-food chains, in the United States and abroad has brought about an unprecedented demand for the disposable trays which are used to carry food and beverages from the food dispensing area to either a table within the restaurant or to another location, for example, an automobile. After that single use, the trays are thrown away and are not used again.
A prime requirement for the disposable tray is that it be inexpensive. In order to maintain a low cost per tray, the trays are manufactured from an integral blank and are shipped in a folded or collapsed condition. There exist today many different constructions of trays which can be shipped in a flattened condition, which are erected just prior to use, and which meet the requirements of both adequate stability and low cost. Just prior to use, the prior art trays are erected by forming a three-dimensional structure and folding one or more panels to provide locking support against collapse during use.
Unfortunately, the requirement of folding one or more panels to provide the tray with the stability needed to withstand the weight of food and beverage creates an extra step to be performed by restaurant personnel and hence effectively adds to the cost of the tray. It also provides an additional opportunity for error and accidental spillage if the panels are not folded correctly.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tray which forms a self-stabilizing non-collapsible structure as it is being erected, which can be shipped in a flattened condition, which is low in cost, which is simple to manufacture, and which can be formed from an integral blank. Other objects of the invention include the provision of a tray which can be constructed from an integral blank of fibrous material and which requires no skill to erect.
It is another object of the invention to provide an integral blank which can be cut and assembled to form a self-stabilizing, non-collapsible structure.